What Are the Best Books For an Aspiring Writer to Read?

It's true you become a better writer by writing every day. But you also need to read every day. Whether you want to publish your novel or become a working nonfiction ghostwriter, these are the 5 types of books you need to read:

1. On Writing by Stephen King. Yes, there are other books about writing out there, but this would be my top pick.

2. Memoir. You can learn a lot from how people share their own story. My recommendations would be Off Balance by Dominique Moceanu or Marathon Woman by Kathrine Switzer.

3. General business. Pick something about leadership or business philosophy. My recommendations would be Creativity, Inc. by Ed Catmull and The Infinite Game by Simon Sinek. But you could also fit in the likes of Good to Great by Jim Collins or any John C. Maxwell book.

4. Niche topic. This is one which explores a niche topic and makes it more approachable. My recommendations here would be Talking to Strangers by Malcolm Gladwell or Moneyball by Michael Lewis. Finish by Jon Acuff is another solid example here.

5. Favorite fiction. Sprinkle in some of your favorite books. As you read, ask WHY they are your favorites. What do those authors do which you can emulate? Some of my go-to favorites are the Narnia series, the Harry Potter series, and Tom Sawyer.

By the way, when I say "read," I'm including audiobooks. I listen to more books than I can ever have time to sit and read. I also digest them better. I used to be lucky to get through 2 books a year with my workload-now I can get through 20+ a year with relative ease.

What would you add to the list?